Teacher Incentive Allotment checks awarded to 81 Temple ISD teachers

TEMPLE, Texas — Teachers across the Temple Independent School District received nearly $900,000 on Friday, Aug. 23 through the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), the district announced.

Administrators presented checks to 81 teachers across TISD, the district stated, awarding a total of $894,913.

Of the 81 teachers to receive the checks, 26 received "recognized" designations, 48 achieved "exemplary" designations and seven reached "master" designation, the district said.

According to TISD, the teachers honored were all part of TIA's Cohort E, which includes teachers of all subjects. TISD said it is already collecting data to submit to the Texas Education Agency for next year's TIA.

“Temple ISD believes in honoring and celebrating teachers, which is why the district did not hesitate to participate in the Teacher Incentive Allotment,” said Dr. Donna Ward, assistant superintendent of human resources for Temple schools. “As we go into our fourth year of data collection, we are pleased to share that 131 teachers have earned a designation over the last two years, equating to approximately $1.3 million in payments made to teachers. In October 2024, the district will submit even more teachers for a designation. That data is still under review, but we are confident we will be able to reward many more teachers with a TIA payment next August.”

The TIA was created by the Texas Legislature to "provide a realistic pathway for top teachers to earn six-figure salaries and to help attract and retain highly effective teachers at traditionally hard-to-staff schools," according to TISD.

Districts that participate in the TIA develop and implement local designation systems that include things like teacher observation and a student performance component, according to TISD. TISD said its system includes three designation systems, with "master" as the highest.

Designations are good for five years, said TISD, and teachers can be submitted for higher designations each year based on performance. According to the district, TISD is one of only 323 districts across Texas to have a fully approved local designation system.

“Temple ISD is known as an innovative district, always looking for creative ways to celebrate and reward staff members for their commitment and excellence in service,” said Dr. Bobby Ott, superintendent of schools for Temple ISD. “I have no words to describe the emotion experienced today when delivering these checks. The highlight of the day was seeing students rally around teachers and teachers pass credit to their students. This represents a selfless environment grounded in service to others, which is indicative of our culture. Temple ISD is truly the right place, with the right people and why we are looked at statewide as a district that does it the right way!”

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